Construction of levees



(No Model.) C

D. JORDAN 8v J. W. DUNCAN. CONSTRUCTION 0F LEVEBS, '&c.

N0. 600,832. Patent-ed Mar. 15,1898.

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DENNIS JORDAN AND JAMES W. DUNCAN, OF SAN FRANCISCO,

` CALIFORNIA.

CONSTRUCTION OF LEVEES, 86C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,832, dated March 15, 1898. `Application filed June 23, 1897. Serial No. 641,983. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, DENNIS JoRDAN and JAMES W. DUNCAN, citizens of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Fran cisco, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Levees and other Artificial Embankments, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement made in the construction of levees and similar artificial embankments for protecting lands from inundation; and the improvement consists, essentially, in a structure formed or produced mainly of concrete piers or pillars and concrete slabs arranged in parallel rows and longitudinally in the levee and a filling of rock or other material between said rows, such structure being located partly below and partly above the bottom or base upon which the levee is erected.

This improvement is well adapted for obtaining a firm foundation upon or for strengthening those portions of a levee that are required to be carried across a quicksand or other soft bottom in the line of a levee, where a solid or firm base or foundation cannot be secured by the ordinary methods of construction at present followed without going to great eX- pense in filling in and rendering such soft or weak spots sufficiently solid to bear the levee or to resist the erosive or undermining action of the water, and it is also adapted for strengthening those portions of a levee already constructed where there is more or less danger of an undermining or weakening action of the water upon vthe lower portion of the levee. l

The nature of our said improvements and the manner in which we proceed to construct, apply, and carry out the same will be fully understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciiication, and to which reference is herein made by letters.

In the said drawings, Figure l is a top view of a section of our structure as applied for strengthening a portion of a levee that is carried across quicksand or similar soft bottom in the line of a water-course and before the levee is completed. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken transversely through the finished structure. Fig. 3 is a plan or top view of one of the slabs of the structure, with a portion of the surface broken away to show the internal construction. Fig. 4.- is an end view of Fig. 3.

A indicates a levee or embankment, B the foundation or bottom on which the'same is built, and C the river or body of water on the outer side of the levee.

D D are piers or pillars of `concrete sunk partly into the bottom B and standing partly above the bottom at intervals of distance apart and. in two rows or lines substantially parallel with each other, following the lines or general direction of the embankment.

E E are concrete slabs standing substantially perpendicular or in an upright position against the piers'from the inside of the space between the two rows. Each slab in length horizontally across the face is equal to the distance between one pier and the next in the row, measuring from center to center, and the height of the slab is about equal to its length. The space inclosed between the two rows or lines of slabs is filled withrocks or broken stone or any available material producing a solid wall F.

The piers D are built by first sinking a caisson dx of sheet-iron into the bottom B and then filling in the concrete, the caissons being of such cheap construction that they may be left in position after the pier is formed. Each pier is carried up to a greater or less height above the bottom B, and usually up to the ordinary level of the body of water above the bottom.

The slabs E are formed of concrete, with two setsof strengthening-rods E E2 embedded and interwoven in the concrete in such manner as to secure the greatest strength in the directionqof the lines of force which the slab is called upon to sustain while being handled and when in position. These rods consist of a set or series E', running horizontally from end to end, and a second set or series E2, running rperpendicularly from top to bottom and woven or interlaced with the horizontal rods in analternate manner similar to basketweaving, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The object of this construction is to obtain a relatively thin and light slab possessing the reloo quired strength to resist the pressure brought against it when in position supported at the ends, and also capable of being handled and laid in place without danger of fracturing, and these points we secure by the application and combination of the two sets of interwoven rods E E2.

The slabs are laid in position against the piers from the inside of the inclosed space in two parallel lines or rows, after which the inclosed space between the rows is filled with the material F-such as broken stone, gravel, or any such available material-and the same closely packed against the slabs. The earthwork forming the embankment is then built up from the bottom or bed to the required height over and entirely covering the concrete work, and the same is finished with the sloping walls or faces in the usual manner of constructing levees and such like embankments.

As thus constructed and applied it will be seen that the improvement embraces a means of strengthening a levee by interposing between the two faces of the embankment a wall or perpendicular structure mainly of concrete piers and slabs standing/partly above the base or bottom on which the embankment is built and extending partly into such base.

The width of the concrete structure will necessarily vary with and be governed to some extent by the special conditions of the case, such as the height and thickness of the embankment and the pressure which it is rerequired to sustain under ordinary and extraordinary occasions. The structure can be made of much less thickness in proportion to' its height, however, than an ordinary construction of wall without the piers and slabs.

This improvement affords a rapid and effective means of strengthening and protecting at one or more points a levee or embankment already constructed, and at a comparatively small expense.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secu re by Letters Patent, is-

1. In the construction of levees and other like embankments, a strengthening structure consisting of concrete piers or pillars in parallel rows at intervals apart extending partly below and standing partly above the bottom or natural base of the embankment, concrete slabs resting against and supported by said pillars and a filling of solid material between said rows of slabs.

2. In a levee or other like embankment the combination of the concrete piers or pillars, in parallel rows at intervals apart, the concrete slabs resting against said pillars and closing in the space between the rows thereof, and the filling material between the rows of slabs, constructed and applied for operation as hereinbefore described.

3. In a concrete structure for strengthening levees and other like embankments, the combination of the concrete piers or pillars in spaced rows, and concrete slabs having the horizontal rods E and the vertical rods E/ interwoven with the horizontal rods and embedded in the concrete.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands and seals.

DENNIS JORDAN. [n s] JAMES WV. DUNCAN. [n s] Vitnesses:

C. W. M. SMITH, OHAs. E. KELLY. 

